100 years Mabel and Morty
by KiTheFangirl
Summary: After weirdmageddon Mabel and Dipper decided to part ways; Dipper staying and becoming Fords apprentice and Mabel going back home. In the three years they were apart Dipper wasn't the only one learning new things. Mabel had become friends with a boy at school. A anxiety riddled teen named Morty. As time passed the Smith family practically adopted Mabel.
1. Chapter 1

Light streamed through the cracked living room window as the sun began to set, the sound of squeaking floorboards breaking the silence that filled the otherwise silent room. A set of twins sat on the sofa, watching intently as their nephew paced in a straight line in front of them; an activity that he had been doing for the past hour or so. 17 year old Dipper Pines glanced at his great uncle's, his brown eyes glazed with anxieties. As much as he tried not to he tended to wear his heart on his sleeve. He drew his eyes away from the pair on the couch and instead favored watching the door. He forced himself to take a deep breath, the air filling his lungs and settling the knot in his stomach.

Any minute now Mabel would walk through those doors. It feels like it has been years since he had talked to his sister, their conversations that once were a frequent occurrence fizzling out after the first few months of their parting. They used to talk every night; Mabel curled up in her brothers old room a with a cup of tea that tastes like home and Dipper seated in the living room chair, both reliving their adventures to the other in hopes of retaining some familiarity in their lives. It had been four years since the agreed to part ways, giving up all that they knew in order to find themselves as people instead of a unit. Four years and Dipper can still remember the conversation that sealed their fates.

The pair was sitting on the cool wood of the attic floor, the chilly temperature against Dipper's legs making him frown. He was going to miss this. His eyes watched his as she pulled her sweater closer to her, making her feel small. Dippers words seemed careful and calculated as he spoke, trying to figure out how to perfectly express the crushing feeling in his chest. "I thought this was what I wanted… But what I really want is you."

Mabels eyes grew sad as she gave him a smile. "Dipper… This is everything you could have dreamed of! It's time that you put yourself first." In seven words Dipper blurted out the fear that had been eating him alive since their grimm conversation started. His voice was barely above a whisper, unsure of if he was talking to himself or to his twin.

"I don't want to be like them."

Mabel rose to her feet wordlessly and enveloped her brother in a hug. He held her tightly, his mind racing at the thought of what may become of them. She pulled away but stayed close to him, their knees touching as Dipper fought to meet her gaze.

"We won't be like them. No matter what happens, we aren't like them." Mabel smiled at him, hoping to bring him comfort as she held out a pinky and wiggled it in front of him. She made her voice all silly.

"Piiinnnkkkeeeeyyy."  
Dipper finally caved and let a small laugh erupted from his chest as he looped his small finger with hers. He looked down at their interwoven fingers and felt something. Still fighting to keep a smile he looked up at here.

"This isn't goodbye."

"It's 'I'll see you soon.'"

With that Dipper hugged Mabel tighter then he ever hugged her before, taking in everything about her so he could lock it away in his memories. The feeling of her arms around him, her voice, the softness of her sweaters, every little detail he took in like his life depended on it. Finally he let her go, and she gave him a joking punch to the shoulder.

Dippers movements finally slowed to a stop as he ran his fingers through his hair, the curly chestnut waves slightly longer than it was years ago. He turned to face his uncles and rubbed the stress from his eyes. "What if she's changed?" His voice took him by surprise, his thoughts voicing itself on its own accord. Ford smiled at him reassuringly. The truth is, the entire aura of uncertainty revolving their great niece had been eating away at both Stan and Ford since they scheduled her stay with them a few months prior. 

"I am sure she has. But I am also sure that she is still your sister, changes and all. We all change Dipper but it is the fact that we-" Ford's speech was cut off by a loud knock at the front door. The three men looked at the door and Dipper took a deep breath before going over to answer as the light knocks struck the door again. The door swung open and his sister stood before him.

The smile that adorned her face was the same as before and the twinkle in her dark brown eyes took his breath away. He drank in her appearance; her hair that was cut short, hanging just above her chest in the same curls that he had. The mustard yellow sweater she wore had shown signs of change in her knitting, the fabric woven in a way he didn't recognise. A white collared shirt stuck out the top of the sweater and tucked into the black skirt and leggings. She was still an adorable little dork but in a more mature sense. He didn't realize just how much he missed her until this moment.

Without saying a single word she pulled him into a warm hug, which was immediately returned. They stood on the front porch, locked in a tight embrace for a solid 3 minutes just reveling in each others presence before Stan decided it was his turn. His voice was exactly how Mabel remembered it, breaking through the peacefully silence the twins had created.

"What, no hug for you 'ol Grunkle?!" Mabel laughed brightly as she latched onto him, hugged him tightly. Mabel noted that was still quite a bit shorter than him, the older man holding a good 4 inches on her. "We missed you pumpkin."

"It's good to be back." She smiled brightly at him and he ruffled her hair. Everyone was happy to hear that her laugh sounded just the same. Her eyes drifted beyond Stan to find Ford standing a few feet behind him, his hands laced awkwardly in front of him. Seeing as his arrival was late summer he didn't know Mabel long before she left. It was one thing he always regretted. He never really knew Mabel so he felt unimportant to her, deciding to linger behind the others as they greeted her. His anxiety dissipated when her eyes met her and he caved, opening his arms for a hug and sighing with content as she wrapped her arms around him.

"It's good to see you again Grunkle Ford."

He smiled as she pulled away. "It's good to see you too darling. Now, let's get your bags and we can start dinner." She nodded at him and lead the three to her car, which was parked besides Stans. Dipper was impressed, her car looked really nice. Their parent's had never been wealthy people but with one less child to pay for it seemed feasible.

"Birthday gift?" Dipper asked grabbing a suitcase from the trunk. She had about five bags, 3 bigger trunks and two duffle bags. She smiled and rubbed the back of her neck, a nervous habit that everyone in the Pines family had.

"Yeah, a good friend of mine got it for me. We actually made a lot of customizations so it is pretty nice. We should go for a drive sometime." 

"I would like that."


	2. Chapter 2

Mabel watched her brother from where she was crouched on the floor beside his bed, looking like a cat about to pounce. She reached up and gently poked his cheek. After receiving no response she tried again, this time whispering his name, emphasizing each one with a poke.

"Dipper. Dipper. Dipper. Hey Dipper. Hey Dipper. Dip Dop. Bro. Bro. Bro bro. Brother. Brethren." Dipper gave an exasperated sigh as he swatted Mabel's hand away from him, rolling over to face the wall and pulling his blanket tighter to him, preemptively protecting himself incase from the cold morning air should she try to pull it off. He would be lying to himself if he said he didn't miss Mabels childish antics but he was still tired. Stan had decided to throw a party at the Mystery Shack tomorrow to celebrate Mabel coming home so they were up all night planning.

His voice was tired as his words came out half mumbled, his face against his pillow. "Mabel…. As happy as I am that you are home I really need to sleep." Mabel sighed and decided to pull out the big guns, getting up to lay with all of her body weight flopped over her brother. She let out a fake snore and heard Dipper sigh before shifting. "Alright, I'm up." She smiled at him and tapped his nose.

"That's the spirit!" Content with his response, Mabel jumped off of him and ran over to her side of the room, her feet making a soft patter against the old floor. She opened the closet door and begun sifting through a variety of different clothes, mumbling to herself before eventually settling on a pair of space leggings and a black sweater. "I'll meet you downstairs!" She called as she ran to the bathroom, ignoring Dippers mumbled 'okay' as he rolled over and fell back asleep. She hurried in the bathroom, changing quickly and making her way downstairs.

Downstairs was quiet, the room lit only by the natural light coming in through various different windows. Once coming to the conclusion that everyone was asleep she shrugged and went into the kitchen to make breakfast before they woke up. She hummed along to "Electric Love" by Børns as she went through the kitchen, quickly discovering that there was barely any food on the shelves or in the refrigerator.

A soft sigh escaped her lips as she grabbed her small side bag and her keys, writing a small note before leaving quietly out the door. It was still early, the morning chill still lingering in the air waiting to be burned of by mid morning. The store was quiet, music playing softly through speakers as a few people milled about. She made her way through the isles, not only getting food for breakfast but food in general, grabbing enough to fully stock the kitchen before making her way to the register.

She smiled patiently at the woman ringing her up, a tired older woman who seemed to move slowly despite the vast quantity that Mabel was buying. After what felt like ages the woman finally rang up her last thing and setting the bag in her cart. Her voice was very monotone and made Mabels smile falter.

"That'll be $327.84." Reaching into her wallet Mabel pulled out four $100 bills, placing them in the woman's hand. "$72.16, enjoy rest of your day." She nodded, grabbing her change and receipt before dropping all the change into the clear donation box and making her way to the car, the many bags taking up the whole trunk and back seat. Her mind raced as she watched the lush green forest turn into a painted blur around her. Music played through the vehicle as she thought about how the summer may go. She couldn't explain the joy she felt being back home with her family in Gravity Falls.

Her fingers drummed lightly on the steering wheel as her mind wandered to Dipper. Things seem cool between them, the fear that they had become like their uncles once were seemed to vanish with their first hug. She always hated keeping secrets from him, it was almost like she was lying to herself, yet... she couldn't help the overwhelming fear thar bringing up her role in the universe and the past few years would put that solidarity at risk. Rick always said that when you are smart, when the universe is your plaything you can't care about anyone. It provides no gain and only leads to compromise and danger.

The thing is; Mabel isn't like Rick. That's why she built her name, her empire, her universe the way she did. She may have learned everything from Rick but she is nothing like him. She found another way, one that despite defying all logic he taught her, still worked. It would never work for him but it does for her.

The sun was brighter as Mabel pulled up to the shack, noting that the house seemed more alive then when she left. She grabbed as many bags as she could before making her way inside, turning the knob before nudging the door open with her hip. She made an immediate beeline for the kitchen. Dipper was sitting at the kitchen table reading a book, the title of which she couldn't make out. Across from him Ford was writing and Stan was watching a show in the living room. She set her bags down on the counter with a soft 'thud', gaining the attention of the pair in the kitchen. Dipper looked at the groceries as Ford gave his morning pleasantries before offering to help Mabel with her workload, Dipper jumping in on the offer as well and placing a marker in his book.

The three of them were collectively able to get the rest of the bags in one run, saving Mabel the trouble of multiple trips. Ford was mentally running through the math to see how much this costed but decided against bringing the matter up. Mabel began organising the kitchen in a strange manner; dedicating areas to meal type, then food type and then alphabetical. It was something that put Dipper a little on edge, Mabel was never really an organized person so watching her work almost effortlessly was strange.

Ford watched for a few moments as well before speaking up. "Mabel, sweetie, you know you didn't have to go grocery shopping. Stanly was going to go this weekend." Mabel shrugged as she put a few more boxes onto a shelf, standing on her tippy toes in order to reach. She finished and tied all the plastic bags in a loop before setting them under the sink.

"I don't mind. I wanted to make breakfast." She waved a box of pancake mix as emphasis before grabbing down a mixing bowl and a whisk. "So… any plans for the day?" Ford set down his pen and thought for a moment.

"Dipper and I are going to finish up something in the lab and then we were thinking about going out to dinner."

Mabel spoke without really thinking, so used to helping Rick that the words flowed thoughtlessly from her. "Can I help?" Ford shared a very short glance with Dipper, his eyes all but begging the younger boy to handle it. He had never really been a peoples person. Dipper knew just what to do, shooting Mabel a smile.

"How about we spend tomorrow together? I don't think you'd really get what we are doing so you might get bored." She gave a soft, almost sad half hearted laugh to herself, remembering that they don't know. Since Mabel's eyes had been opened to the knowledge of the multiverse she found herself wondering the extent of Ford's knowledge.

"I guess you're right." She shut a cabinet and held her tongue, turning to them with a happy smile. "Well as long as I get to chose dinner!" Dipper smiled brightly and with relief.

"Of course! We'll be up at 6:00 sharp." As the pair left the kitchen Mabel finished up her breakfast, making a small batch of three cakes for herself. She set them in a neat stack on her plate, setting a small pad of butter on top of each one and pouring on some syrup, letting it reach the perfect level of absorption before eating them quickly. The shack was quiet with the exception of the audio from whatever was playing on the TV. She washed her dishes, the warm soapy water making her smile. Once she finished and successfully cleaned up the kitchen she wandered to find Stan in the living room, deciding to plop on the floor next to him. He looked down at her and gave her hair a soft pat.

"Morning pumpkin'. The two dorks already off doing dork stuff?"

"Yep. So I was thinking maybe we could hang out. Maybe play a few card games. I've been practicing."

Stan snorted and held out his hand, which Mabel shook firmly.

"It's on.


	3. Chapter 3

Dipper sat in the back of the car, his fingers picking at the old worn leather as he listened to the mindless chatter of Stan and Ford. His eyes were trained out the window as he watched the trees go past, remembering the first time he and Mabel arrived in what would quickly become home. He couldn't stop smiling at how happy setting up the party had made Mabel, watching as she ran around and oozed her eccentric style all over the room. By the time they were ready to go get the snacks the room was nearly finished, yet she decided to stay to finish up the decorations and add all the "finishing touches". She had sent them to the grocery store in the middle of town, claiming that they had the better brand of gummy koalas. And they went, despite it being farther away because they would do anything to make her happy.

Finally they reached the store and found a parking spot. Stan grabbed a cart from the long line and went immediately to the snack aisle as Ford read through the list Mabel had given them. Her handwriting was small and messy, her "i"'s still dotted with hearts. It made Ford happy to see her childish spirit. The worry of some drastic change in her seemed to have left as she spent time with them, it feeling almost like it did four years ago.

"Alright, so she said we need Gummy Koala's, M&M's, salt and vinegar chips, pretzels, crackers, soda and mini sandwiches from the Deli." Dipped held back a laugh at Stans expression, his face looking like someone just demanded he give up his first born. He grabbed a bag of gummy Koalas and tossed them not-so-gently into the cart.

"Apparently the little rascal is trying to eat me out of house and home." He muttered as he collected the remainder of her list. As they walked, Dipper and Ford occasionally threw their own items in the cart, turning it into a game to see how much they could slip past Stan. The answer was a bag of milky ways, gummy peach rings, a thing of toffee popcorn, a bag of cookies and some animal crackers. It was when Dipper got a little to ballsy and tried to sneak in a whole cake that Stan caught them, Dipper laughing as he put the cake back and Ford giving him a wink at the fact that Stan didn't notice the rest. They were a couple of dead men when they got to the register but that was fine with them.

Finally Stan pulled the cart to the register and loaded the food onto the sleek black belt, suddenly turning to glare at the two that began to whistle innocently. Stan rolled his eyes and went back to watching with hate as everything was pulled closer and closer to the man who was about to steal all his hard earned money.

The man running the register looked young, probably only a few years older than Dipper and had a wide smile on his face. He tried to make small talk, which awkwardly failed when both Ford and Stan were unsure how to respond. With a sigh, Dipper jumped in and could practically see the relief flood the young man's face. Once he rang up the last item he printed their receipt and handed it to them.

"Have a good day!" The group all stared at him before Stan spoke first, surprising everyone.

"Don't we normally… you know, pay and stuff?" The man laughed, amused that they didn't understand the situation.

"Usually. Mabel called ahead and payed for it though. Enjoy your party!" With that he began ringing up the couple behind them, making small talk as he went through cart full of baby supplies. Once again, Dipper and Ford shared a look of confusion. They both wanted to know where all of this money was coming from, her last shopping trip could not have been cheap by any means. The last Dipper knew, she didn't have a job so he and Ford were both perplexed at how she had this much money.

When they arrived back at the shack it was 7 in the evening and they had an hour until the party started. They each grabbed two bags and made their way inside only to nearly trip on Mabel, who was laying on the floor with a notebook filled with bullet points and scribbled drawings. She smiled and jumped to her feet, her dress fluttering into place as she righted herself.

"Sweet, food!" She lead them into the kitchen where she had laid out various bowls and plates. Ford reached into the bag and grabbed his package of gummy peaches, immediately opening it and eating the sweet treat with content. Mabel and Dipper arranged all the food onto their designated dishes and the group carried them to the "party room", placing them how Mabel wanted on the food table. The sun was beginning to set and Mabel was in the middle of turning on all the fairy lights around the room when a voice broke through their conversations.

"Hey guys." Wendy's voice rang through the space as she came through the doorway with Soos in tow. Mabels eyes immediately light up as she jumped off the small step ladder and ran towards them.

"Soos!"

"Hambone!" The two met each other halfway through the room in a massive hug, Soos practically enveloping the small girl entirely. Not that she minded. Wendy smiled at the two and giving Dipper a hug before Mabel moved to her ruffling Mabel's hair before hugging the small girl tightly.

"You're getting to tall pipsqueak. I don't like it." Mabel laughed and gave her a squeeze. Mabel stopped hugging her but Wendy kept her arm slung casually over her shoulder. "The place looks great Mabel. Very… Mabel-y." The younger girl grinned and pulled them to a small table before plopping down to spending the short time before guests arrive catching up. Wendy had graduated last year and got a job with a traveling Lumberjack show, competing in competitions all over the US last summer (for those who don't know, this is a thing and they are fucking incredible, I went and saw them for the first time this year at the Alaska state fair). Soos was still happily working at the shack but had moved out of abuelitas house and into a small place with a Melody. They all shared stories from their time apart and before Mabel knew it the shack was filled with guests and Soos was excusing himself to take on his role as DJ.

After a while Wendy excused herself as well, going over to hang out with what remained of her friend group. With her companions gone Mabel leaned back in her chair and grabbed a small cup full of gummy Koalas, popping them into her mouth one at a time and savoring their sweet nostalgia as she watched the people around her. She sang along quietly to herself, content with her snack and music, watching everyone enjoying themselves. It was about 20 minutes into her people watching that Dipper came over.

"Is this seat taken?" His voice held a smile as he gestured to the chair beside her. Mabel laughed and shook her head, offering him a koala, which he took and plopped into his mouth. "Alrighty, what's up? There is a whole party for you and you haven't moved from your seat once." Mabel shrugged and tilted her head to give him a goofy smile, glancing at him through her bangs.

"Candy and Grenda aren't here yet. They are running late." He understood, nodding his head and grabbing another sweet from her cup.

"That makes sense. I can sit with you and wait for them if you want." Mabel's eyes continued to dance across the room, finding her uncles talking happily in the corner. She popped another into her mouth.

"If you want to dork." There was a peaceful quiet between them before Mabel spoke again. "I really missed you."

"I missed you too Mabel. It is good to have you back. I wish you could stay."

"Maybe I can." She turned to give him another smile but before he could respond Come On Elileen came on and Mabel perked up. Suddenly a boy Dipper had never seen before came over and grabbed Mabels hands, lifting her from her seat. Dipper rose, about to intervene before he heard a laugh burst from Mabel as she hugged him.

"They are playing good music!" He said, his voice happy as he looked at her. She smiled brightly and tugged on his arm.

"Living room routine?" He gave a chuckle, repeating her words as she pulled him away from Dipper; who made his way over to Stan and Ford, the pair greeting him happily. 

"Have you seen him before?" He asked, his voice raised to be heard over the loud music.

"Who?" Dipper pointed to the middle of the crowd where Mabel and the boy were dancing in crazy united choreography*. The older twins studied them, both unable to keep a smile from their face at how happy Mabel was, laughing and singing as the boy lifted her up and the twirled around. Dipper sighed when they didn't answer and went to investigate himself, suddenly feeling very protective of his sister. However when he got close Mabel pulled him over and began dancing with him as well, spinning around him making him cave and dance with her as well. Finally the song ended and Mabel laughed leaning onto Dipper.

"Well I am thirsty, you guys want anything?" Both boys shook their heads and Mabel shrugged, leaving them to go get her drink. Dipper awkwardly held out a hand, watching as the boy grabbed it in a friendly handshake.

"Hey, I'm-"

"Dipper Pines." The boy finished with a smile, running his fingers through his light brown hair. "Ha, sorry… Mabel talks about you a lot, so I was able to put two and two together. I'm Morty, Morty Smith." Morty and Dipper moved off of the middle of the dance floor and fell into a conversation, Morty explaining that he and Mabel got really close a few years back. As Morty talked Dippers eyes searching the room to try and find Mabel before shrugging it off, figuring she found Candy and Grenda and continuing talking to Morty.

Meanwhile Ford watched Mabel with suspicion as an older man, probably his age with wild blue hair approached her, taking a seat in the chair next to her, both parties turning to face each other. Fords eyes narrowed as he studied the man who seemed very out of place here. It set off so many red flags in his head. He slid closer to the pair with Stanly in tow until he could hear their voices, just barely, over the music.

"Well the fact you are here must say something." Mabel smirked slyly at the man who sighed in frustration. Fords curiosity climbed higher at the fact that they knew each other, waiting intently for his response. 'Who is he…?'

"All it says is that despite you being nothing more than a pain in my ass for the past three years I still had nothing better to do then come to some shitty party thrown by the fucker who all but sucked the life out of me." Both the Stan twins felt anger bubble in their stomachs at this man who dare use such vulgar language to insult their great niece. That changed into bewilderment however when Mabel got on her tiptoes and ruffled the man's hair.

"I love you too Rick." He quickly swatted his hair to remove her hand and grumbled something before taking a long sip from a metal flask. The man took a seat and shoved a small handful of pretzels into his mouth. Ford concluded that he wasn't a threat, other than being a massive Prick, and lead Stan back to the spot that they had claimed for the night.

The rest of the night was pretty uneventful until Dipper had a bad feeling stirring in his stomach when after a full hour he couldn't find Mabel anywhere. He tried to remain calm as he subtly searched for her, not wanting to alert Ford or Stan, knowing both men would lose their shit if something happened to her. He eventually found her sitting outside with an older man, his eccentric blue hair making Dipper want to laugh. He couldn't explain why but in that moment he knew he had to hear what they were saying. He leaned close to the crack in the door and heard a twinge of fear in Mabel's voice.

"Rick… Am I evil?" The air around them was silent, the tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. Mabel stared at the stars and waited patiently as the man took a drink before answering. 

"Worse, you're smart. When you know nothing matters, the universe is yours. And I've never met a universe that was into it. The universe is basically an animal, it grazes on the ordinary. It creates infinite idiots, just to eat them. You know smart people get a chance to climb on top and take reality for a ride but it'll never stop trying to throw you. And eventually it will, there's no other way off."

"If nothing matters… Then why? Everything you have done for Morty and I… Why would you do that for us?"

"I don't know… Maybe you matter so little that I like you. Or maybe it makes you matter. Maybe I love you. Maybe something about Mortys mother, don't jump a gift shark in the mouth."

"Rick."

Silence.

"Thank you…"

Dipped finally decided to duck back into the house, needing time to figure out what he just overheard.


	4. Chapter 4

I'm alone. Well, I am not really alone, but no one is paying attention to me. The TV is playing some program though I am not really paying attention, my eyes instead watching the rain pouring outside. I can feel my great uncle slip to the side as sleep takes over his frail body. His glasses rest upon his nose so I reach over and gently pluck them from his face, folding them neatly before setting them on the small table beside him. After wrapping a small hand knit blanket around him I moved into the kitchen to clean up after dinner.

As I wash the dishes I see her. She's standing at the window, her hair attacking the glass from the force that I cannot see. I look at my uncle and brother only to realize that no one else sees her. I try not to look, to pull my gaze away from her pure white eyes but she's screeching. Her shrill cries breaking through the glass as her mouth morphs into a cold, soulless smile. I try to scream, but no sound comes out. As I frantically look around I see that no one is there. I am alone.

I set the dish I was holding on the rack, my hands shaking so badly I nearly dropped the old china. Slowly backing away I made sure to hold her gaze, not wanting to lose sight of her. As I reach the couch I finally tear my eyes away and force my body to move faster than it ever has as I bolt down the hallway. I hear a crash in the kitchen and feel my heart stop at the horrific realization.

She's inside the house.

I take off running again, trying my best to hide. The first room I find is the bathroom, and I crawl into the cupboard beneath the sink. Violently shoving things aside to make room for me I settle in, cramps already making themselves known in my neck and legs. Fuck, bodies aren't meant to bend like this. I feel my breathing getting faster as the claustrophobia from being trapped kicks in. I pray she does not see that the door won't close all the way because even with all the chaotic adjustments I am just too big to fit.

She passed by the dimly lit hallway and I can hear her footsteps on the cold hardwood. The pain in my awkwardly positioned muscles grows even worse and I know I have to get out of here. Her slow steps are dragging on for what seems like hours before I finally take my chance and flee. I hear a loud clatter from behind me and the room goes cold as I realize my mistake. I've made too much sound. I can feel how close she is, a bone chilling hissing filling the room. I dodge and she barely misses me as I try to reach the door.

I'm still trying to scream but no sound is coming out. I'm too scared. My voice won't work.

Running back into the kitchen I grabbed the door and throw it open, not even bothering to close it behind me. Outside the rain is coming down even harder, and I am running far too slow through the woods behind the rundown shack. She can still see me, I can feel her eyes locked onto my frantically moving form as she darts after me. My lungs burn as I run but she is moving too fast. I can feel the mud firmly under my bare feet, but my feet don't propel me more than an inch forward. She's catching up. I swear I see someone at the side of the path but when I try to call out to them there is still no sound. Now I'm crying, and I feel so powerless. I try to yell again but they turn away and leave me there, disappearing in the woods and leaving me to my tragic demise.

A glimmer of hope fills my eyes as I see mine and Dippers old hideout, yet as I am hit with realization I feel like sobbing. How could I have only come so far? I see here in the distance and know there is no way to get into the broken building in time. Remembering that there is a box below it I move quickly and duck inside. Goddamnit, again with the small spaces. She is there, walking by. I see her ankles as she passes. My heartbeat is too loud, echoing in my eardrums. The world falls silent and all I can hear is my heartbeat and rapid breathing. This time, she turns back and I have nowhere to run. She looks in the box and attacks.

Finally the world seems to unfreeze as a sole ripping scream escapes my throat. I feel her claw at me, the skin on my back breaking apart like tissue paper and my shooting star sweater immediately getting covered in blood. I feel myself cry out again as I try to roll away but I am not fast enough, she strikes me another time. This time her nails drag across my face and neck in what felt like slow motion. I could feel the nerves being severed as the skin was forced away from my body, leaving my muscles exposed. I try to cry out but no noise escapes me. I grasp at my right eye and even though the pain is overwhelming I still notice one thing. My eye isn't there. I feel my body wretch froward as bile forces its way from my torn and broken throat. The attack doesn't come and when I look around me she is gone. A single thought breaks through the pain. Run.

As time passes I continue to move as fast as I can. Rain dampens my clothes and the wind attacks my shivering body. I tried to inhale, only to immediately burst into a coughing fit. She severed my vocal cords so the most I can do is breath. The air around me seeming to freeze my lungs and even breathing becoming unbearable. Trying to stay shielded by the trees I felt myself slow even more. The muscles in my legs burned as if someone was cutting through them with a hot knife.

With a loud grunt I collapsed in the mud, my vision blurring and my whole body trembling. My thoughts slowed but one thing stood out. "Get to the shack." When I ran from her I didn't have a plan other than to run. As the minutes turned passed I realized how screwed I really am. I am going to die out here. The blood that came oozing from my face and neck has yet to cease. The pain that gnawed at my body seemed to have given way to apathy as the cold seeped farther and farther into my core. I made myself sit up despite the way the world was spinning around me.

The sky had long went dark, the thick brush around me almost impossible to see through. Yet I forced myself to stand upon shaking legs and move forward, step by step. I have to find shelter. I have to stop the bleeding. I have to find heat. I have to Ford. He is the only one that can help me now. I felt my body sway as I moved. God I would give anything to know the time. I don't know how far I made it before I collapsed once again. I know I won't be getting up this time. I felt warmth deep in my core and tried to focus on that. My thoughts slowed to a drip before they stopped after one final thought.

"Please don't find me…"

Mabel awoke with a start, her heart pounding in her ears as she became alert to everything around her. Her eyes searched desperately for her brother, a small wave of nausea coming over her until she finally found his body curled up in his bed. The sound of her breathing filled the thick summer air, the darkness consuming her yet she swore she could feel a pair of eyes on her. She grasped her sweater and reached under her pillow. Too soon. It's too soon. There was supposed to be more time, but fate is cruel and unforgiving.

"She's coming."


	5. Chapter 5

The morning air felt different, as though the very world knew of something dark that has yet to come. And with good reason. The Pines family had spent the morning together in the living room, trying to figure out why there was a unusual thickness in the air and heaviness in their chests. It was around noon that there was a loud sound outside that caused Dipper to run over to the window to investigate. However, before he could glance outside the shack was encased in a thick metal shield, completely sealing the entire building. Stanly stared at it for a moment in confusion before letting out a sigh. He turned to the kitchen as Ford walked through the doorway, a cup of coffee in hand stopped halfway through making due to the commotion.

"Well poindexter, care to tell me why there are blast shields on the shack?" Stan stared at his brother but before Ford got the chance to answer someone else spoke up.

"You don't want to know how many answers that question has." Mabel said, her voice calm as she decended swiftly down the stairs. The family stared at her with a confusion that only deepened as she threw a large gun across her back, strapping it into place via a black belt across her chest. "Listen, I am sure you all have a lot of questions and I swear I will answer them but there is more pressing matters-" She turned away from them and walked across the room, still talking as she retrieved a small box from inside a secret compartment in a potted plant.

"Computer. Run defensive protocol 2-4-6-0-2. Main objective, keep the Pines family safe. If any unknown entity comes within 30 feet of the shack, shoot to kill." She turned back to them and set the small device firmly in the palm of Fords hand and closing his fingers around it and keeping her hand on his, her eyes locked into his to emphasize the importance of her every word. "If anything happens, set this on the floor of the living room and enter the code 249-00384-2971 and all of you evacuate the area immediately. It will send a distress beacon to my location." Ford couldn't bring himself to speak, only staring wide eyed at his great niece, his mind racing from every aspect of this baffling situation.

Mabel pulled a strange looking gun out of her side bag and fiddled with the dial. "I shouldn't be gone long. A day or two at most. Stay safe. Don't do anything stupid. Nothing in the home will respond to you and Ford-" She paused to make eye contact. "My work is embedded with a defence mechanism that only recognises my DNA. So no touching ANYTHING. I'll be back soon."

With that she pointed the gun at the wall and a swarling green portal appeared, Mabel stepping through it without another word, leaving the family in shock. Ford stared in awe at the spot where the portal disappeared moments ago, his mind unable to form words as his thoughts all went to the portal that just vanished.

'That isn't possible.'

'I've studied this for years, this is impossible.'

'How…?'

"Does anyone know what the fuck is going on?" Stan finally asked, marching into the front door and giving it a tug only to be met with a small shock and an electronic voice filling the air.

"Keep Pines family safe."

* * *

Over a day had passed. 36 hours of an almost burning silence as the three were left with nothing other then to watch the clock tick slowly as the seconds passed. It was driving them all mad yet none of them could bring themselves to speak after realizing the uselessness of it all hours ago. They had no answer as to what was happening. It was as if Mabel was possessed, a whole person entirely. But one look in her eyes and Ford knew that wasn't it. The hands went around the dull white clock another full rotation before Stan finally rose to his feet and stretched his aching bones before moving into the kitchen deciding to make some coffee to calm their as they stared between the clock and the place where Mabel disappeared. Stanly try to focus, the quiet din of his shaky hands preparing tea is all he can hear. The scrape of the spoon against the ceramic mugs grating overwhelmingly as he blinks and tried again to make sense of this.

He soon finished his distraction and returns to them, setting the mug close to Ford's hand. The tea is cold, but he thanks him anyways. Stan feel his lips pull fast in a grin before once more vanishing, taking his seat again and forcing himself to look down to the trembling hands in his lap, willing himself not to do anymore. Not to be anything more. An unobtrusive presence.

A loud noise made everyone jump from their seats as their eyes flew over to where the noise was, staring at the green portal that Mabel previously left through and sure enough; she walked through it again. Her hair was a mess and her clothes dirty, her body seeming to fold slightly inward as she walked; a group of humanoid creatures following behind her. The pines sat back and watched as they were led into the kitchen by Mabel, the men sharing a glance before deciding to follow.

"Alpha, Bravo, I need you to do a perimeter check, from the shack out 100 miles. We can't leave even an inch unseen. Charlie, I need you to go through the houses defenses and make sure there were no weakened spots. Delta, you are in charge of bringing us to the drop point. Rick Sanchez will meet you there in exactly 24 hours. Until then you must protect the box at all costs. Now go, we need this done as soon as possible." She turned towards her family as the soldiers scattered. They just stared at Mabel as if she had grown a second head.

"Well? Come on, we don't have time to doddle. Grab your coats and meet me in the attic." With that Mabel made her way up the stairs, everyone else quickly following. Once in the attic they found Mabel staring at a shoe box, her chest rising and falling in a slow rhythm as she set a hand gently over her heart, forced herself to calm. She spotted them and pulled them over. "Okay, this is going to tingle but I promise it won't hurt."

"Wait what won't hurt?!" Dipper yelled, his eyes searching hers for an answer.

"I need you all to grab onto one another so you all do it at once!"

"I don't even know what it is!" Yet almost as soon as the words left his mouth Ford clasped a hand onto his shoulder and the world went white, his body erupting into tingles. When the whiteness faded and the world took color once again Dipper immediately noticed that they were no longer in their bedroom at the shack, but rather on the floor of a dark, podshapped room. He stood up and his eyes found his great uncle's, both of which had fallen upon landing as well. As he helped them up Mabel fell into the room, landing firmly on her feet and walking over to a storage unit, grabbing something before running over and hugging him tightly.

"I'm so happy you are okay." Dippers arms hung limp at his sides as his mind raced. Once she noticed he wasn't returning her affections she released him, the air suddenly feeling heavy. Not wanting to be stuck her anymore she turned away and grabbed a medium sized device off the counter. She clicked a button and a wide ray of blue light appeared as she ran it over her body, head to toe. An animated voice filled the air.

"Mabel Pines. Age 18. Heart rate; high - 97. Blood pressure; low - 98 over 60. Injuries present. Two broken ribs. A lassaration across the abdomen. Bruise on right eye. Blood loss; 13%. Visus present. Coronavirus. Treatment plan ready."

Without saying a word Mabel went through and scanned the rest of her family before setting the device down and activating a control panel, causing the right wall to disappear, opening it up to a large area they had never seen before. Outside appeared to be a large flower garden, still in full bloom despite the layer of soft snow that covered the ground. Mabel looked to Dipper hoping to see some form of curiosity or excitement but was met with nothing, his face completely devoid of anything. His eyes met hers and she gave him a small smile, only for him to turn away.

"What is this place?" Ford finally spoke up. Mabel went over to a small flower bush and plucked a light pink rose from its stem. She spoke without looking at them, her eyes trained on the soft, delicate petals of the small flower in her palm as she dusted off the snow. "Do you remember the bubble Bill trapped me in? He said it was a world of my own creation. I suppose this is kind of like that… except this is real." She turned back to them and gently set the rose in Stans hands. "Everything on this planet was carefully designed by me. It's been my home since I left… since Dipper left." Her eyes looked back to Dipper but he was focused on a tree that stood tall before him, despite for anything to take him away from Mabel. She sighed and took the rose back from Stan, holding it back on its stem and running her fingers along its base, restoring it to its former glory.

"Come on, let head in." Her voice was laced with anxiety and as Stan and Ford followed her gaze the immediately knew why. Mabel walked towards a large three story wood home, with almost more window than wall. She held open the front door and Ford and Stan gawked at the foyer. When Mabel looked to her brother once again she snapped when his eyes were still trained to the floor.

"What is your problem?" The harshness of her voice finally brought his eyes to meet hers. "You haven't said a single word to me!" He glared at his and spoke with a sharp, venomous bite.

"You. You are the problem. You stop talking to me for years, basically disappeared and now you have an entire secret life we don't know about. What happened? We told each other everything!" He yelled, stepping closer to Mabel who wouldn't let her eyes stray from his. "We promised, no secrets!" Another step. "No lies!" He was starting to scare her and Mabel covered her face with her arms by reflex. He looked at her disapprovingly letting his voice drop back to its normal volume. "I don't even know who you are anymore." Mabel's heart broke as she reached out for him, having to cover her mouth to hold back her tears as he yanked his arm away from her. "Don't touch me, traitor."

Mabel turned away from all of them and walked silently down the hall, only the fleeting sound of her footsteps keeping them from the fast approaching silence. Dipper stared at his hands before forming fists and clenching his teeth. He has every right to feel betrayed, he was hurt and scared and confused. Without looking back at his uncles he walked down the opposite hall as Mabel, deciding to go find a room to stay in for the rest of their stay.


	6. Chapter 6

Hey everyone. So for those of you who might not of heard this was a huge earthquake that struck Anchorage Alaska yesterday morning. I was at work when the 7.0-7.2 magnitude quake hit my building. My whole crew dove for safety under our desks and watched in terror and panic as the whole building was thrown violently back and forth. Things came crashing to the floor, ceiling panels broke, huge metal cabinets and boxes fell, littering the warehouse. A few moments later as we finally got up and started checking on each other we were his again by a huge aftershock wave measuring in at 5.7. After that I began smelling chemicals getting strong in the air I quickly yelled for everyone to evacuate. We made it upstairs in two runs because of aftershock that kept hitting one after another. We all had to hide upstairs for about 20 minutes until the main bout of aftershocks subsided. After we were informed about the major gas leak downstairs and we were all sent home. The roads were broken, cracked, caved in and it looked like something you would see in a movie. After about an hour and a half of driving and continuing aftershock waves I made it safely home with my family. Our house was fine with the exception of a few broken things, but we had lost power, which means we lost heat and seeing as I am allergic to the cold and it was only 23 degrees out we had to figure out something fast. We all ran around packing bags of essentials as more aftershock waves kept coming. Our power finally returned after about 45 minutes and my aunt and uncle went to check on the neighbors. While they were gone I was alone through about 4 more aftershocks. The aftershock continued all day and night and we are still feeling some now, almost 36 hours later. I got lucky. I was uninjured. My family was uninjured. I was able to stay safe and find a support group of family and friends back home in Washington. But this event left me scared, anxious and on edge, jumping at every noise and movement out of fear of being hit again. There has been at least 45 aftershocks all 2.5 or higher (one just shook us as I am writing this) and we are still getting them. My friends and family say how I am feeling is okay but it is really hard to deal with… I am going to try to use writing as a… way to cope so maybe this will help. If any of you have been through anything like this or could even just lend an ear I would be so grateful. I will be posting this on all my stories and hopefully I can bring you all an update soon. Until then, please stay safe, tell someone you love them, appreciate your family and take a moment to just enjoy life. When I thought there was a chance I might not be able to do those things again I was heartbroken. So please, you never know when tragedy might strike. This world is an amazing thing, don't let its beauty get lost in the flurry of life. I love you all, stay safe.


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